1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and more particularly relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for positional sensing of micromechanical elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are typically fabricated using semiconductor processes that etch away and dope selected areas to form electrical and mechanical devices on a common substrate. The integration of electrical and mechanical devices facilitates providing low-cost high performance components. Typical applications include sensors, transducers, accelerometers, optical switching, and multi-colored projection.
One issue related to controlling the mechanical devices on MEMS chips is sensing the position of various mechanical elements and adjusting their position to achieve a desired position. In particular, the small geometries involved with MEMS systems impose significant challenges to sensing the position of mechanical elements in a cost effective manner. For example, optical techniques used in large scale applications are typically impractical for the small scales involved with MEMS devices. As a result, a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method to sense the positional state of a micromechanical device in a cost effective manner.